Pulled the engine out of the dragster the other day and checked a few bearings. 2 mains and 3 rods looked just like they did when I put them in so it's good to go there.

Ordered that Comp 6100 belt drive yesterday and hopefully I'll have that by the end of next week so I can install it. Shipped to my door it was $480.93. I setup today and checked the lobe center and it had moved 1* in the retard direction? I have to wonder if this is wear or just that the load on the gears and chain make it that way since ALL the valve train stuff is still installed?? It was put in @ 106* and it now checks about 107.2*. And it sure is much easier to do this without all the crap in and on the engine!! PITA for sure but it is much easier doing it on the engine stand instead if fighting it in the car!

Ennywho, having the valve train in place when I degree that belt drive will help me compensate for belt stretch as it will be loaded when I degree it. I'll be going to 110 this time.

That engine has been plaguing me with a couple of small oil leak now for a while and I STILL don't know exactly where it was coming from?? Over time it really horked up the under side of the car from the dirt collecting in the oil but it never leaked enough to warrant pulling it down mid season. I'm going to pull the rear main seal adapter out and reseal it along with fresh gaskets and seals to see if that will fix it. Hopefully someone will buy it (advertised on Racing Junk again) and it will be someone else's problem in the future.

Com Cams 6100 belt drive was a PITA to get fitted to the front of the engine. I spent more time sealing everything off to keep filings out of forbidden places than actual grinding though. This 1184 SBC BowTie casting I'm using has some "unusual" stuff cast into the front of it so with a stock block it might not be this bad.

I still have to get a timing cover gasket though and will finish the install once I have that in hand tomorrow.

RE: Oil leaks? Well, I haven't found anything in the rear of the engine that would have caused the leak there other than some oil seems to be coming from the seal between the intake and the block on both ends?? Don't believe I've ever seen that before! Guess I'll dig some of that old RTV out and try putting some fresh stuff back in. I think the leak in the front was coming from the timing cover so with this new belt drive and a new gasket that one should go away.

Engine is back in the car! Still have a few things to bolt on yet but the bull work is done. Local fabrication shop is going to make me a new foot box cover to mount the electronics on so I probably won't start it until some time early next week.

Price of diesel here is now at $4.00 a gallon, which is NOT good. Looks like my prediction from last year might apply to this year instead. Ennywho, I'll be ready even if I can't afford to get there and back!

That Comp 6100 belt drive had me worried somewhat. I noticed when I rolled the engine over with the starter and no plugs in that the belt had run back REAL CLOSE to the cover?? In fact, it appeared to be touching the cover?

Decided to wait until I had it running to see what it looked like then and I found out today that it's not actually touching the cover while it's running but it's damn close!! Had I of known it was going to be that close I would have mounted the cover without a gasket!! That would have given me an additional .030 or so clearance but I guess if it only has a few thousands then that's enough.

New foot box was done and mounted on Friday so now I just have to finish mounting the logger stuff and clean the car real good and I'm done. We won't go anywhere until some time in April but it appears that I'll be good to go when that time comes.